A Change for Love
by MrsBriSnape
Summary: A story of friendship that turns into love between Lily and Snape, starts off canon but will gradually change more and more. Please review, or I don't think I will finish the story. Thanks! :
1. Chapter 1

**First, I'd like to establish that this story starts off as canon, but will gradually have more changes as the story goes on. Second, I have chapters 1-5 planned out, but I'm not sure I will finish this story quickly; as I have AP classes and dance practice. I'm a junior in high school so…. My life is pretty much revolved around school and dance haha. However, if I get a lot of reviews and hits, I will be more willing to update faster! :) This chapter is shorter than what the next chapters will be, which is why I decided to call it a prologue, and I try to get the story from Lily and Snape's point of view. This chapter also has no dialogue, but expect a lot in future chapters! I just wanted to set the tone for now. Thanks for your interest in this story, and if you want more, please review!**

**Prologue**

Lily Evans had a crush. Ever since that wondrous day when her new friend Severus told her a full afternoon's worth of stories about the crazy, magical world she would soon be a part of, she'd had a series of never ending daydreams. Imagining the adventures Severus and her would soon encounter, she also thought about how much she admired him. He seemed to know so much about magic, and his eerie, dark eyes with his long black hair made him seem like a mysterious fantasy.

The clearing in the forest was beautiful. In late April, the trees glistened and birds chirped happily in the blue, cloudless sky. Severus usually hated days like this, preferring the wintry cold and darkness, but today was special. Today he was about to see the girl with fiery red hair and entrancing green eyes, and talk endlessly about his favorite subject: magic.

Ever since he was very little, Severus' only comfort in life, the only thing he had to believe in was magic. For years, he's endured his abusive father's fury, taking punch after punch without so much as a whimper. Tobias Snape abused Severus since the moment he was born, and when Severus turned eight, no more tears could escape his eyes. He was hardened, living in a house of hell with his thoughts of magic as his only escape. That is, until he met Lily.

Severus waited in the clearing for Lily, thinking about the way her eyes lit up when he talked about the different charms they would learn. Suddenly, he had an idea as he glanced down at the patch of lilies by the pond. Smiling to himself, he walked towards the flowers, even more excited than before to see his friend.

Lily skipped down the road, anxious to see her new friend and talk about magic. When she reached the clearing, however, she couldn't find Severus. Thinking he was just a few minutes late, (they agreed to meet up at 9), Lily sat at the base of the big oak tree, tapping her foot excitedly. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Severus sprang from behind a bush in front of her with bright blue lilies in his hand, a big grin on his face. _He must be the sweetest boy I've ever met_, thought Lily, smiling a big, sparkling smile that made Severus' heart skip a beat.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Blue, as it just so happened, was Lily's favorite color. Severus noted how the lilies contrasted beautifully with the scarlet on Lily's cheeks.

"Teach me about Hogwarts", Lily pleaded excitedly. Talking about her future, magical life in the enchanting clearing with Severus was one of her favorite things to do.

"What do you want to know?" asked Severus, unable to hide his grin. He loved seeing the admiration in her eyes for knowing things she didn't.

"Tell me about the Houses again", said Lily.

"Well, there's Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor."

Lily couldn't help but notice the way his voice gave a slight sneer as he said the last name.

"Slytherin is where cunning, loyal, and successful people go; it's easily the best House. Hufflepuff is just for average people who don't really have anything going for them, and Ravenclaw is for the people who would rather spend all day studying rather than making friends. And Gryffindor is for the egocentric prats."

Lily knew he was being serious, and she wouldn't usually condone such negative comments, but she couldn't help smiling at his superior tone.

"And which House do you think I'll be in?" Lily asked, already knowing what he would say.

"Definitely Slytherin", replied Severus with a grin.

Lily noted the carefree gleam in his eyes when he smiled. Just as she opened her mouth to reply, Petunia, Lily's sister, stepped from behind a bush.

Remembering the last time Severus and Tuney, (this was Lily's nickname for her) met, Lily grimaced. Tuney and her were swinging on a playground when Snape stepped from behind a bush and told Lily she was a witch. Thinking he was just another rude boy trying to be a jerk, Lily and Tuney stomped away, leaving him there wondering what he did wrong. When Lily went back by herself the next day though, Severus explained to her the truth about what she was. This happened two months ago, and now she and Severus were the best of friends. Petunia, however, still refused to listen to anything Lily had to say about magic, or Severus for that matter.

"What are you doing?" Petunia asked Lily authoritatively, a hint of fear escaping.

Remembering the way Petunia treated him, and seeing the worry in Lily's face angered Severus. "None of your business", he replied shortly.

Petunia pretended to ignore him, though her face betrayed her controlled manner. "Why are you hanging out with this sorry excuse for a girl?" she said to Lily. Lily's eyes widened, looking at Severus with an apologetic expression before turning back to Petunia again.

"Leave him alone", Lily said softly. She hated angering her sister, but she hated disappointing her even more, and hanging out with Severus was clearly not something she approved of.

"I don't have to! Ever since you've been hanging out with this… Freak, you've been saying the weirdest things. It's not normal to believe in magic, Lily! Please, just come with me and stop hanging out with him. It's what's best for you."

Severus jumped up, ready to strike back. He was not losing his one and only friend. "I am not a freak, and neither is Lily. She is free to hang out with whomever she pleases, and she doesn't need you to boss her around!"

With that, Petunia finally lost what little composure she had left. "Lily, you can either choose him, or me. I will not tolerate you having a person like _him_ as your friend! He's nothing but cheap trash!"

Lily's eyes glistened, then were wet as silent tears flooded over her cheeks. She finally had a best friend, someone who could make her feel like she was special for being able to do magic, but all Petunia wanted to do was take that away from her because "it's abnormal". As much as Lily cared about Severus, however, she couldn't lose her sister. They were family. _We'll just have to meet in secret_, thought Lily, hoping Severus would somehow read her mind.

"Severus, I'm sorry-"

"No, I get it", Severus said angrily, turning away without a second look back.

"Sev, wait!" Lily tried running after him, but Petunia put her hand on her shoulder, preventing her from going any further.

"You've done the right thing, Lily", said Petunia, but Lily wasn't listening. What were a few silent tears on her face was now a shaky waterfall.

Down the road, Severus was stalking angrily. He thought of the smile, the eyes, the hair that he loved, all gone now. He thought of the friend he thought he had, the one person that seemed like she could see right through him. Now all the anger was gone. It was muffled by a new, gut wrenching feeling that he never remembered having before. _So this is what heartbreak feels like_, he thought. _I knew she was too good to be true._ And for the first time in two years, something wet and almost unrecognizable fled from Severus' eye.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Severus looked at his pathetic excuse of a house. It was slightly slanted, with shingles broken off all around it. The shrubbery had grown long and overdue for a trim, and what once was a white picket fence surrounding the house was now off white and hanging at an angle, threatening to fall at the slightest touch. _I'm pathetic_, he thought. _No wonder she doesn't want me_. He trudged across the lawn, hoping more than anything his father was away. Opening the door as quietly as he could, Severus tiptoed over the threshold. He paused there a few seconds, waiting and listening. Hearing nothing, he wondered if he could chance the stairs. He took a step towards them. _So far, so good…_ But the next step he took made a loud creak. He paused again, hoping it was unnoticed, but his hopes were crushed as soon as he heard big, noisy, drunken footsteps.

His father, Tobias Snape, obviously slammed and ready to strike, was now standing in front of him, eyes red and wavering from alcohol. "And where have you been, you good-for-nothing little rat", he said. Severus took a step back, hoping to run to the shelter of his room, but he forgot the stairs were what was behind him. He stumbled and fell on his bottom on the second step.

Tobias noticed this, and slapped him across the face. "How dare you try to run from me", he murmured murderously.

Severus tried the only option he had left. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, just-"

His sentence was silenced with another blow, this time to the stomach. Knowing he lost the fight, and losing his own power of will, he slumped on the stairs, waiting for the blackout. Tobias punched and punched, each one bringing Severus closer and closer to numbness. After about 5 minutes of this, Tobias threw a sloppy elbow to Severus' temple, this time knocking him out for good.

Suddenly, everything was black. Severus could tell he was still on the stairs, but he could see nothing. When he tried opening his eyes, he found it extremely difficult, as his eyes were swollen and puffy. With the little strength he had, he managed to push his lids open just slightly, and what he saw was still dark. _Must be nighttime_, he thought. Tobias would be gone, out at the bars. Noticing the way his body ached, he knew he should try to get in his bed. He tried lifting a sore arm, and was halfway successful. He tried the other and had better results. With that arm, he managed to push himself up to sitting position. When he looked at the stairs, he saw dried blood, running down to his feet. He tried again to push himself up to stand, but his legs were slightly shaky. He held on to the railing, and was finally able to stand upright after a minute of balancing. He slowly trudged up the stairs, careful to keep from going backwards and falling all the way down. Once he made it to his room, he plopped on his bed and was out like a light.

He awoke to a familiar sound. Not one of birds chirping, not one of bacon sizzling, but one of Tobias yelling as soon as he arrived home from the bars. This made Severus almost bolt upright, if it wasn't for the aching that still covered his body. It wasn't as bad as last night, but still bad enough to make him moan in pain. He looked at his alarm clock. _Almost 8:30. _Severus rose slowly out of bed, hopeful to get out of there and see Lily, to try and win her back, but knew he should wait until Tobias passes out again. As soon as he heard those familiar snores, he walked as silently as he could down the stairs and past the living room. Once he saw Tobias, however, something seemed to surge inside him, a feeling he never really had before. Seeing the once again drunken Tobias, and feeling the aches and dried blood all over his body from Tobias' rage, Severus was angrier than he'd been in his entire life. Something made him want to kill his father, to make him pay for all the damage he's done to him and his mother, Eileen. How he couldn't wait until the day he had his own wand, and could easily dispose of such filth. His knowledge of the dark arts had grown significantly since finding a dark arts book up in the attic a year ago, and he couldn't wait to test out what he learned on his pathetic excuse of a father.

A bell chimed outside, and he realized that it was already 9. Severus quietly opened the door, and walked towards the clearing where he met Lily, hatred still engulfing his every thought. He was at the clearing now, looking for Lily. It was 9:13, and she still wasn't there. _My father almost kills me, and my only friend deserts me now, too,_ he thought. Suddenly, a new wave of emotion hit him. Not only was he filled with anger and hatred, but now we was mournful, wishing he could be happy for once. _Wait, _he thought, a new idea springing to mind. _Maybe I could be happy… If it weren't for stupid Muggles always ruining my life! _He couldn't hold it back anymore. "I HATE MUGGLES!" he yelled. "I'd hex every one of them with the killing curse if I could!"

Suddenly, a small crack came from behind him. Standing on a freshly broken twig was Lily Evans.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for all the hits I've been getting! PLEASE review! I need to know if this will be worth keeping up with. I'm really excited for the next chapter, and I think all the Snilly fans will be, too! I know I just uploaded a bunch of chapters at once, but I don't think that will be the case from now on. I just had a three day weekend and decided to get as much as I could done before things got really busy for me. I'm hoping to update about once a week normally, but no promises :) Once again, thanks for your interest in this story, and review so I can get an idea of what you guys are thinking! Thanks!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

Lily arrived hoping to meet Severus to apologize and discuss her plan to meet in secret. At first she was glad when she heard his voice, but when she heard him yelling, heard what he was saying, a wave of fear blanketed her. She stepped on a twig just as he finished, and tentatively took a step back. Severus whipped his head around at her, and relief flooded through him. He couldn't describe the feeling he got when he looked at her. Though 30 seconds ago he was hateful at the world, he was grateful she still cared and wanted to talk. He wanted more than anything to be her friend again.

When he looked at her, Lily noticed the bruises and blood all over his face and arms. "What happened to you?" she shrieked, worry and sadness completely erasing whatever emotion she showed from his shouts.

"My father…" he said shyly, looking down. He didn't want to tell Lily, or anyone else for that matter, about him.

She could sense he was uncomfortable, and decided to drop it. "I'll go and get you some supplies", she said, then took off jogging to her house.

"Lily-wait", he tried to stop her, but she was already gone. He hated when she left, but knew she really would come back.

Ten minutes later, Lily came back through the clearing with a first aid kit. "Sit" she ordered. Usually Severus would not take orders from anyone, but it was Lily, and for her he would probably do anything. The thought made Severus wonder for a moment, but quickly put it aside as a burning sensation came from a cut in his arm.

"Dang it, Lily!" he exclaimed.

"Hold still!" she ordered again. He grimaced with each new burn, but let her continue anyway. The serious look she had while she worked distracted him. Most girls hated blood, let alone cleaning bloody wounds.

"Why are you not bothered by the blood?" he asked.

Lily looked up at him and smiled a small smile. "My dad is a doctor, and I've always known that's what I wanted to be, too. Until you told me I'm a witch, of course." She stuck her tongue out at him as if he planned on changing her plans for the future.

Just as Severus was about to grin back, Lily cleaned out another wound, making him grimace instead.

When she finished, she sat beside him underneath the oak.

"Sev, I'm sorry about what Tuney said. It wasn't right, and I didn't want to upset her anymore, so I had to agree with her. I couldn't let you go either, though, so… I thought of a plan. On days when Tuney doesn't want to play with me, can I meet you here in secret?"

Severus grinned, feeling stupid for ever believing she would desert him. "Of course."

Lily grinned back and threw her arms over him. Severus was caught off guard for a moment, but wrapped his arms around her in reply; happy she couldn't see his hot face. When she let go, she leaned her head on his shoulder, and Severus knew he hadn't been this happy in a long time.

Neither of them said anything for a while, but Lily suddenly remembered what had confused her earlier.

"Severus?"

A slight smile played on his lips when she said his name. "Yes?" he replied.

"What's a Muggle?"

Anger and guilt flooded through him, unsure of which was more prominent.

Deciding he'd better tell the truth, he said "A Muggle is a person who can't do magic."

"And why do you hate them?" she asked innocently

She sensed this made him uncomfortable again, but this time she couldn't let it go. Something about the way he seemed full of hatred when he was shouting worried Lily to the point of sickness.

Severus hesitated, but thinking about his father made him angry again. "They deserve to be punished" he said darkly.

This seemed to push Lily over the edge, and she got up, her back facing him. She thought about his words. This wasn't the same Severus she was best friends with, and it scared her. She had to keep him from hurting anyone. Suddenly, a deep thought occurred to Lily. _What if he really did want to kill people without magic? That meant he wanted to kill my family, too…_

Slowly, she turned around, gathering the courage to ask her next question. After gathering a deep breath, she forced herself to whisper it out. "So you'd rather I become an orphan while you hurt so many innocent people? "

"But-", Severus tried to interrupt, but she continued.

"…Maybe your father isn't good, but not all Muggles are bad." She could feel the tears forming in her eyes. She took another deep breath and forced her next words out; though she was unsure she really wanted to say them.

"I don't think I want to be friends with such a hurtful person… I thought you were better than that." The words started out clear, but became a sort of whisper at the end. Suddenly, the wetness in Lily's eyes spilled over, and she was crying. Before Severus could think of anything to respond, she turned and walked home.

Severus wanted more than anything to stop her, but the words seemed to catch in his throat. His own tears were light on his face, and he sat there, wishing he could take the words back. He tried to think of something to say to assure himself that she would come back, that she would be his friend again, but all he could think about was the guilt he felt when he saw how much his words hurt her.

At noon, Severus was still sitting there. He thought of everything he could've done differently, angry at himself for being stupid, and depressed for losing his friend. What was the thought he had earlier? _For her he would probably do anything._ That was it. He sat long and hard thinking about what made him think that. He knew it was true now, because he knew he would do anything to try and get her friendship back, but he wondered why.

Lily was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, for one. Her green eyes seemed to pierce right through his soul. She had the prettiest laugh he's ever heard, not that he's heard much laughter in his lifetime, but somehow he knew hers was the best. Every time he was with her, he felt light and happier than any other time he could remember.

This was how he knew he could never lose her. He definitely had a crush on her, but more importantly, he realized he loved her as much as any person could love their best friend. No matter what happened, no matter what the cost, he knew he would always try to find a way to make things better with Lily. Because of that, he headed home quickly, anxious to work on his new plan to make things right.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks for all the hits! Sorry it has taken so long to post another chapter, I've been crazy busy with school. I'm really excited about the next chapter, as Snape will get to see all that will happen if he continues the canon path of eventually becoming a Death Eater. Please REVIEW! :) It only takes a few seconds, while writing these chapters take much, MUCH longer! I love reviews and will respond to all signed ones. **

**I'd just like to point out that while the time turner in the Harry Potter series was made so that the people who time traveled could be seen, the one in this story will not be like that, as I think it would be much more effective if Snape got to see his future without having to hide everywhere. Once again, thank you guys and hope you enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

Severus walked home with a new skip in his step, though the happiness was beginning to be replaced by a new emotion: nervousness. He knew he would have to do a million and one chores to get his mother to even consider helping him make a vial of felix felicis for Lily. Though it was definitely a longshot, Severus figured Lily might be more prone to forgive him once she discovered how hard he would work to be her friend again.

Severus rounded the corner to his shabby house and found that his father's car was in the driveway at an unusual time of day. _Ugh,_ he thought. _He's never here during daylight hours._ Approaching the door, he heard his mother gasping soft cries as the snore of Tobias came from somewhere in the same direction. He slowly opened the door very quietly to keep from waking Tobias, and waited, unsure of whether he should approach his mother or not. After a while, her cries were still just as strong, and Severus gave up, trudging to his room with sadness seeming to overtake him. He opened the door and plopped on his bed. Not yet ten minutes later, he was fast asleep, having rage and abuse-filled dreams of his father. Suddenly, for the first time in his life, his dreams shifted to something happy. Lily was in front of him; the sun shining on both of their faces, and joy seemed to overtake every part of his soul. All too soon, though, the dream ended, and he was back in his room. Still amazed with his new dream, Severus sat up, dreary-eyed and hope-filled. He knew he could do anything for Lily, with or without his mother's help.

He walked into the hall and pulled down the attic stairs. Once at the top, he quickly grasped his mother's wand on the wall ledge, and turned the attic light on with a wave of his wand. _The Ministry can't detect my magic when using my mother's wand; I remember her telling me the Ministry could only detect magic by the ownership of the wand, not who was using it. Ha, they're foolish to think underage wizards don't use their parents' wands. _He found the big trunk full of textbooks and spells and began searching for the Advanced Potions textbook. He finally found the bottom, but as he tried to pull it out, he found that it was stuck to the cardboard-like top layer of the trunk bottom. With as much force as he could muster, he ripped the book from the bottom, a definite rip audible as he fell backwards onto the ground. _Crap! I really, really hope that doesn't wake Tobias up._ Careful to move more quietly, Severus got back up and sat Indian style with the book in his lap. He found the chapter on felix felicis, the "liquid luck" potion, and frowned at the gigantic list of materials and ingredients needed. _Guess I better see what I already have, if I'm even lucky enough to have any of these, _he thought disappointedly. He walked back over to the trunk and pulled out all the textbooks, hoping there might be a chamber at the bottom holding materials.

Suddenly, something gold caught his eye from the hole he made pulling the textbook out. Deciding to rip out the bottom altogether to be able to get his hand through, he was surprised to not only find a few materials he knew he would need, but a familiar gold necklace with a round globe at the bottom, encircled by two slowly spinning circles. Something seemed to flash inside his mind, something similar, he thought, to what must be déjà vu. All at once, his mind clicked and he remembered the necklace from a childhood story. He couldn't remember the exact details, but he did remember that a mother who tragically lost her son because of his courage to protect her from the attack of dark wizards was said to be given a special gift from God that would allow her to go back in time without being seen and save not only her son's life, but hers as well. However, God warned that the necklace should only be used sparingly, as the abuse of it could mess with a person's mind, and could make someone waste their life trying to change their sources of regret, rather than really living.

Severus breathed a deep breath, surprised by this new revelation. _This is a real time-turner. Wow. Things like this don't happen every day. _He hesitated and thought about what he should do. _Fate brought me to this necklace, and now I've got to use it. _His heart beat erratically as he slipped the necklace on. He turned the knob three times. _This is for you, Lily. _Suddenly, grim black overcame him.


End file.
